This is crazy!  I just can't get his question out of my head, the tape just keeps playing over and over again.  Have you ever heard something and it just replays itself in your head like a bad video playing on the vast expanse of Wal-Mart’s TV’s shelves, or gets your attention like a chipped tooth your tongue refuses to leave alone?  Well I know I do, especially today.  Yesterday  I heard former National, World and Olympic champion ice skater, Scott Hamiliton(1984) on the Laura Ingram radio show promoting his new book:  "Figure Eight:  How To Be Happy (When you have every reason to be miserable)" Scott spoke about the trials of his life,from adoption to the childhood illness that kept him from growing (he competed as an adult at 5 feet 2 and a half inches and 108lbs), to testicular and brain cancer.  What he said that I cannot shake is this:  "I believe that some people are just built for challenge and not success."  He went on to codify that with his own personal experience:  "After winning everything there was to win, including the 'World's', I just could not handle the maintenance of success.  I truly do believe that I am one of those who were created for challenge." 

This reminded me of the old Irish Proverb:  "I grow under burdens."  Which for me tends to be translated: "I grow under grilled cheese sandwiches and pizza!"  No,seriously I have not been able to put down this bone, this nugget (no not McNugget).  I have been one of those that seem to excel in the crisis, the grit and frey of battle, including the challenge of raising a church and school from the dead (well, Christ through me and a horde of help), and believing God for the impossible.  Whether it was something as small as my father-in-law telling me:  "You can't cut a roll up shade, it must come that way (I did it though), to being told: "You can't read (I did with God's help IN THE NINTH GRADE), to: "Uh maybe college isn’t for you, some people are just not cut out for college (my GPA was 1.00000009 at time and no I’m not going to round down).  I eventually did graduate (1978-85... do the math)managing married life, 42 plus hours of work a week at Safeway, youth pastoring some 76 students and 18 credit hours and finishing on the Dean's list with my degree in hand.  I WON!!!  I used every negative word spoken to propel me prove all the nay-sayer's wrong.

I say all this not to in any way compare my life to Mr. Hamilton’s... NOT at all, but to encourage you and give the glory to Christ Jesus!  I bring this challenging little piece of intellectual gristle because so often I hear a frustrated parent, teacher or coach "write-off" a child or teenager because they don't seem to be "getting-it" or "making the grade."  I say this because we are ALL created so different, so "fearfully and wonderfully made" as King David of old (Israel) declared.  We are not all built for what one may call "success!"  Some are built for the challenge, the training, and the struggles of life's journey along the way.  King David is one of those whom I believe was designed by God for the challenge," and in the absence of "the challenge" his passions became misdirected and self-imploding.  It is so very true that often our greatest strength can also become our greatest weakness if not found under the constant abiding and soul penetrating work of the Holy Spirit.

So, I am still chewing and hopefully I have given you something to stir-up dialog and discourse around your water-cooler or family room.  Please my friends, let me know what you think.  Oh, by the by... I just started Malcolm Gladwell's latest book:  Outliers;  "The Story of Success."  This book is based on his theory that is somewhat in line with Mr. Hamilton's.  I will let you know how it goes.

From the Journey's View;

Pastor Tom